A Pattern that Reveals the Church (part 3) – Solomon’s Temple 2
Introduction. The church of Christ existing in time and on this earth has always appeared insignificant to those who do not know or love the truth. Unlike the ancient nation of Israel and their temple, the church is made up of small local churches scattered all over the world and separated by time. Even in the days of the apostles, in each community those who obeyed the gospel and followed all the commands of the Lord were only a tiny portion among all the “religious” people who worshiped idols or kept the law of Moses. In addition, God made no provision for all the churches to combine forces. Each eldership has been charged to “tend the flock of God among you.” (1 Pet. 5:2)
When we compare this to Israel and its worship, we see this difference. Beginning with the tabernacle and continuing with Solomon’s temple, all worship and service to God was focused in one location. All Israel was commanded to gather to worship on the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. At that time, the numbers swelled with the faithful gathering together. God wanted it understood that the temple was the only place on earth where His presence could be found. When it was completed and they began offering sacrifices, “the glory of the Lord filled the house of God” (2Chr. 5:13-14; 7:1). Then, God clearly stated: “I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” (1Kgs. 9:3-4). From that day forward, all prayers and worship was directed toward this single place.
Solomon’s temple became the only means for His people to have fellowship with Him. But the glory of this temple was based on two things: (1) God’s presence and (2) Israel’s faithful service. There can be no fellowship when God and man are not working together. Hence, when Israel no longer followed all of His commands, judgments, and ordinances, the temple could not help them because God no longer saw it as His: “Then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight” (1Kgs. 9:6-7). This led to the 70-year captivity and their complete humiliation in Babylon.
After their return, they were few in number and the temple they built “was in your eyes as nothing.” (Hag. 2:3). Like the ten spies, they could not see that the human side did not confer either power or majesty. That came from God alone. They had forgotten that even when it was a only a tent in the wilderness, it still held the glory of God. It was God’s fellowship that gave the temple glory, not the size or quality of its earthly materials.
Then God applied all of this to the church. God promised a third temple: “Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land” “and I will fill this temple with glory,” “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former.” (Hag. 2:6-9). This “latter temple” has far more glory and majesty than Solomon’s temple! But it doesn’t come from man. Only God can give it to those in the church who seek His fellowship by careful obedience to the commands of Jesus.
The Messiah would build this new temple: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying, ‘Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the Lord’” (Zech. 6:12; Isa. 11:1). For emphasis, it is repeated: “Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne.” (Zech. 6:13). Once again, the glory comes from Jesus, not the works of men. Jesus would “built the temple,” either just before or as “He sits and rules on His throne as priest.” This all occurred after Jesus ascended to heaven, but before Peter’s sermon when the Spirit proclaimed Jesus was exalted at the right hand of God (Acts 2:29-39; Heb. 6:13 — 10:25).
The church that started in Jerusalem and was soon scattered into Judea, Samaria, and the remotest parts of the earth is the glorious temple God promised. Clearly, what is seen from the earthly side doesn’t reveal the true glory or majesty of His temple/church. Those in heaven see “the manifold wisdom of God” as it is “made known by the church.” (Eph. 3:8-11). Heavenly beings see Jesus’ church as the glorious temple spanning both time, distance, and this creation (Heb. 12:22-29).
On earth, the entire church, portioned into small local congregations, can’t reflect all the fulness of this glory. When Jesus addressed “the seven churches of Asia,” He chastised most of them for their sins and comforted those who were faithful despite being persecuted and despised. From this, and the contents of the other letters written to local churches in the NT, it is made clear that no church on earth can truly reflect this glory. It is only because Jesus “gave Himself” that “He might present her to Himself a glorious church” (Eph. 5:25), that she has any glory at all.
The church on earth, closely following all the commands of the Lord, will always fail to impress the “wise, mighty, and noble” of this world. (1Cor. 1:20-31). There is a constant pressure on the church to conform to their expectations, but it must be resisted and overcome. The glory of the church is not based on what men see here, but what God sees from heaven. The church is the temple of the Lord because it is the only place on earth where we can have fellowship with God. God never intended or wanted the church on earth to have human glory, with a beautiful building, popularity, or wealth. He chose the things that are “foolish, weak, base, and despised” in order that “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (1Cor. 1:28).
Just before Jesus returned to heaven to build His temple, He gave His apostles the mandate that became the NT Scriptures. They were to “go and make disciples in all nations, baptizing them,” and they were “to teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded.” With this foundation, Jesus could promise “I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:18-20). Only by obeying all the apostles taught us to observe can we truly be His disciples. “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). Yet by this very obedience, the church will look weak, insignificant and “as nothing in your eyes.”
When every command in the NT is respected and obeyed, we are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the chief cornerstone.” As long as that is true, we are not simply in the temple of the Lord, WE ARE A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD (Eph. 2:20-22):
It was never the gold, silver, precious stones or beauty of Solomon’s temple that brought it glory! These were wonderful trimmings, but it was the fellowship with God that brought glory. All of that is now in the church. When a local church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, each member within it is part of God’s holy temple. What was true then is still true today. Even to the end of the age, those who remain on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as chief cornerstone are being “built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Peter described the process in detail. It is “in obeying the truth through the Spirit,” and after “having been born again,” “through the word of God which lives and abides forever” that all is prepared. By God’s decree we are then built into His temple: “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Pet. 1:22-24; 2:4-6).
This is an amazing Scripture! It combines into one the temple, the priesthood and the sacrifices and reveals that this is what those local churches, built on the foundation with Jesus as chief cornerstone, have become. This is where the glory originates. It is not of men and not of this creation. It needs no gold, no beautiful building, and nothing that would bring glory from men. Only God reveals this glory and gives this glory. By faith this is what makes the church of Christ great. It matters not at all what the world thinks of all this. God doesn’t care and neither should we.
Conclusion. When Haggai told Israel that God would shake the heavens and the earth and bring glory into the new temple built by the Messiah, he was not speaking of things in the material realm. When the Holy Spirit quoted this passage, He said, “Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” (Heb. 12:26-27). The church is a temple with “the removal of all that is made.” Nothing in this creation brings glory into the church. When the day comes that the things that are made are finally shaken and removed, only the glorious living stones in this new temple will remain.
When we compare this to Israel and its worship, we see this difference. Beginning with the tabernacle and continuing with Solomon’s temple, all worship and service to God was focused in one location. All Israel was commanded to gather to worship on the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. At that time, the numbers swelled with the faithful gathering together. God wanted it understood that the temple was the only place on earth where His presence could be found. When it was completed and they began offering sacrifices, “the glory of the Lord filled the house of God” (2Chr. 5:13-14; 7:1). Then, God clearly stated: “I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” (1Kgs. 9:3-4). From that day forward, all prayers and worship was directed toward this single place.
Solomon’s temple became the only means for His people to have fellowship with Him. But the glory of this temple was based on two things: (1) God’s presence and (2) Israel’s faithful service. There can be no fellowship when God and man are not working together. Hence, when Israel no longer followed all of His commands, judgments, and ordinances, the temple could not help them because God no longer saw it as His: “Then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight” (1Kgs. 9:6-7). This led to the 70-year captivity and their complete humiliation in Babylon.
After their return, they were few in number and the temple they built “was in your eyes as nothing.” (Hag. 2:3). Like the ten spies, they could not see that the human side did not confer either power or majesty. That came from God alone. They had forgotten that even when it was a only a tent in the wilderness, it still held the glory of God. It was God’s fellowship that gave the temple glory, not the size or quality of its earthly materials.
Then God applied all of this to the church. God promised a third temple: “Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land” “and I will fill this temple with glory,” “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former.” (Hag. 2:6-9). This “latter temple” has far more glory and majesty than Solomon’s temple! But it doesn’t come from man. Only God can give it to those in the church who seek His fellowship by careful obedience to the commands of Jesus.
The Messiah would build this new temple: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying, ‘Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the Lord’” (Zech. 6:12; Isa. 11:1). For emphasis, it is repeated: “Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne.” (Zech. 6:13). Once again, the glory comes from Jesus, not the works of men. Jesus would “built the temple,” either just before or as “He sits and rules on His throne as priest.” This all occurred after Jesus ascended to heaven, but before Peter’s sermon when the Spirit proclaimed Jesus was exalted at the right hand of God (Acts 2:29-39; Heb. 6:13 — 10:25).
The church that started in Jerusalem and was soon scattered into Judea, Samaria, and the remotest parts of the earth is the glorious temple God promised. Clearly, what is seen from the earthly side doesn’t reveal the true glory or majesty of His temple/church. Those in heaven see “the manifold wisdom of God” as it is “made known by the church.” (Eph. 3:8-11). Heavenly beings see Jesus’ church as the glorious temple spanning both time, distance, and this creation (Heb. 12:22-29).
On earth, the entire church, portioned into small local congregations, can’t reflect all the fulness of this glory. When Jesus addressed “the seven churches of Asia,” He chastised most of them for their sins and comforted those who were faithful despite being persecuted and despised. From this, and the contents of the other letters written to local churches in the NT, it is made clear that no church on earth can truly reflect this glory. It is only because Jesus “gave Himself” that “He might present her to Himself a glorious church” (Eph. 5:25), that she has any glory at all.
The church on earth, closely following all the commands of the Lord, will always fail to impress the “wise, mighty, and noble” of this world. (1Cor. 1:20-31). There is a constant pressure on the church to conform to their expectations, but it must be resisted and overcome. The glory of the church is not based on what men see here, but what God sees from heaven. The church is the temple of the Lord because it is the only place on earth where we can have fellowship with God. God never intended or wanted the church on earth to have human glory, with a beautiful building, popularity, or wealth. He chose the things that are “foolish, weak, base, and despised” in order that “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (1Cor. 1:28).
Just before Jesus returned to heaven to build His temple, He gave His apostles the mandate that became the NT Scriptures. They were to “go and make disciples in all nations, baptizing them,” and they were “to teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded.” With this foundation, Jesus could promise “I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:18-20). Only by obeying all the apostles taught us to observe can we truly be His disciples. “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). Yet by this very obedience, the church will look weak, insignificant and “as nothing in your eyes.”
When every command in the NT is respected and obeyed, we are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the chief cornerstone.” As long as that is true, we are not simply in the temple of the Lord, WE ARE A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD (Eph. 2:20-22):
- having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
It was never the gold, silver, precious stones or beauty of Solomon’s temple that brought it glory! These were wonderful trimmings, but it was the fellowship with God that brought glory. All of that is now in the church. When a local church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, each member within it is part of God’s holy temple. What was true then is still true today. Even to the end of the age, those who remain on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as chief cornerstone are being “built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Peter described the process in detail. It is “in obeying the truth through the Spirit,” and after “having been born again,” “through the word of God which lives and abides forever” that all is prepared. By God’s decree we are then built into His temple: “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Pet. 1:22-24; 2:4-6).
This is an amazing Scripture! It combines into one the temple, the priesthood and the sacrifices and reveals that this is what those local churches, built on the foundation with Jesus as chief cornerstone, have become. This is where the glory originates. It is not of men and not of this creation. It needs no gold, no beautiful building, and nothing that would bring glory from men. Only God reveals this glory and gives this glory. By faith this is what makes the church of Christ great. It matters not at all what the world thinks of all this. God doesn’t care and neither should we.
Conclusion. When Haggai told Israel that God would shake the heavens and the earth and bring glory into the new temple built by the Messiah, he was not speaking of things in the material realm. When the Holy Spirit quoted this passage, He said, “Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” (Heb. 12:26-27). The church is a temple with “the removal of all that is made.” Nothing in this creation brings glory into the church. When the day comes that the things that are made are finally shaken and removed, only the glorious living stones in this new temple will remain.